Breathing apparatus



March 14, L BELCHER BREATHING APPARATUS Filed July 30, 1932 //v|/E/v70/2 JOSEPH L. BELCHER.

HIS flTTOIP/YEY. Y

Fatented Mar. 14,

UNITED STATES .oFF-I-ciEf JOSEPH L. BELCHER, or nonennscmonnironma H BREATHING arrana'rp's Application filed July s ,-1es2.y Serial No. 626,260..

My invention relates to improvements in breathing apparatus for submerged persons,

wherein a housing having an opening embracing the nostrils and mouth of a wearer 5 operates in conjunction with tubes connected to said housingvand a float arranged to normally retain the open ends of said tubes projected above a body of water within which a wearer maybe submerged, whereby said. wearer may be supplied with fresh air.

through said tubes by the natural process of breathing.

The primary object of the present inven{ tion is to provide a new and improved device 1 of the character set forth arranged to supply fresh air to a submerged person by the natural process of breathing, whereby air pressure producing mechanisms may be effectively 7 dispensed with.

A further object is to provide a new and improved device as set forth which maybe worn by persons learning to swim, whereby they may be able to breathe when temporarily submerged, to maintain confidence in said;

wearer while learning, or while in the water.

A still further object is to provide a newv and improved device of the character set forth having improved means for permitting circulation of air in one direction only, through a pair of tubes, each having their upper ends normally projected above the surface of a body of water, whereby a constant circulation of fresh air may be provided through the natural breathing process of the wearer when submerged.

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in thedrawing forming a part of the present application wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the specification and drawing, and in which Fig. 1 is a view of the head of an operator,

or wearer, disclosing my device in vertical section applied thereto, the float being disconnected from the breathing tubes; Fig.2 is a broken view of the device removed from the person; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view disclosing the device in use.

closed in Fig. 1 of the drawing. I r The housing 1 is-also prov'ded with preferforms no part of the Referringto the drawing, the numeral is usedtodesignate a housing having anopenng providedwith resilient pneumatic cushioned edges 2, said edges 2 being, shaped :to -conform genera lly to the face of a ..person,i: and said opening being .arrangedtoenclose the nostrils and mouth of a wearer as disably apair of inlet ports 3,each providedr .-.with a suitable-flap-valve hand" an exhaust or outlet port '6 similarlyprovided with a flap-valve 7 Apair of tubes 8 are provided for air passages between the interior of said ousing and the atmo phere above th sin-T1 faceof water within which the wearer maybe submerged. 'One of said tubes maybe bifurcated, .asdisclosed in Fig, 2 of the drawing, both branches leadingto the inlet p0rts 3.

One end of each tube is connected to the interior of the housing 1 by means of the inlet .and exhaust ports above. described, while the opposite ends of said tubes 8 areconnected, preferably upon opposite sides,lof a suitable eta-a n float beingpreferablyffi velongated, and. engaging said tubes 8 adjacent the ends thereof whereby. the weight of said tubeswill serve to maintain said float in an upright positiomwhen in the water and consequently the open ends of said tubes 8 vw ll be normally. projected above the surface of said body of water and into fresh air. 7

A suitable. band 11 is used to'normally secure and maintain the housing 1 in operative position upon the face of a wearer and emthe drawingthe -valves4eand 7 are arranged, relatively totheir respective ports, to permit passage in one direction only through said ports and consequently. a passage of air: through thetubes 8 'an'dhousing 1 in one directiononly is permitted. By means of this novel arrangement Ha circulation of fresh air .is permitted the .wearer when submerged.

In operation, the housing 1 is applied to the face of the wearer so that the opening therein will embrace and enclose the nostrils and mouth of said wearer, and held in such position by the preferably resilient or flexible band 11. I

\Vhen the person is submerged, the weight of the tubes8 will move the elongated fioatil'l 1 1 f to a'substantially vertical position as disclosed in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and thereby project the free or open ends of the tubes 8 v V a above the surface of the body'of water with in which said wearer may be submerged,

As the normal or natural process of breathing is carried on by the wearer, and .inhalation will unseat the flapper-valves 4 of the inlet'ports 3 and fresh'air'will'be drawn from above" the surface of the wate'rthrough'the tube 8 co nnec ted-to said inlet ports 3 and into the lungs of the wearer,-- the same act-ion opf crating to'close the flapper-valve 7 on-the outer side ofthe housing 1' over-the exhaust port 6.

Vhen the wearer exhales, the pressure thus producedwill tend to close more tightly the normally closed inlet valves 4 and opentheff exhaust flapper-valve 7 over the outlet or exhaust port 6 and expel the air of said exhalation through the proper tube Sand into the atmosphere above'the'body of water.

' As the process of respiration-is continued,

it is apparent that a constant circulation of" fresh airw'ill be maintained, in one 'direc- I tion only, through the tubes 8 and housing 1, i

' by the natural breathing process or, the

wearer.

I f Having thus described myinvention what I 'I' claim as new and desireto secure by Letters f ti Patent I v V p i A breathing'apparatus comprising a housing'havingan, openingprovided with resil--" ient pneumatic cushion edges to snugly embrace the face and enclose the nostrils and mouth of a wearer; means for holding said housing .in operativeposition, a pair of air f tubes. each having one end connected to the interior of said housing to 'provideair passages; an elongated fioat mountedjadjacent to'and'b etween the ends of said tubes remote from the mask to normally retain said ends I projected in ,a substantially vertical position above the surface of a body of waterfwithin which said wearer may be submerged,where by air, may be suppliedthrough'said tube'sito "said wearer When submerged, by the natural breathingprocess; and suitable valves interposed between the submerged ends =of1said" tubes and the interior of said housing and arranged to permit passage of air in opposite a directions only through saidtubes whereby as 1 circulation of air'in one direction only may"--- be maintained throughsaid t'ubesby the natural breathing process of saidwearer.

i In witness whereofll hereunto set m signature.

JosE Prrn-BELoHER. 

